A need exists in the prior art for systems and related methods associated with providing a sensitive, dangerous, vulnerable or expandable installed equipment safe electronic test system (ETS) having a capability of measuring a variety of different systems under test. Exemplary ETS can be designed having multiple categories of common ETS interface structure variants or configurations that couple systems under test including or not including installed sensitive, dangerous, vulnerable or expandable installed equipment (e.g., explosive or combustible elements). ETS electrical interface structure embodiments can be provided such as system under test cables or wiring bus systems (e.g., ribbon cable) that are terminated with different systems under electrical interface structures (e.g., cannon plugs, electrical connectors, block connectors or bus interfaces, etc.) that have safety components built in. Embodiments can include a chassis having multiple circuit board slot connectors adapted to receive programmable relay circuit cards that can selectively couple individual pins on common ETS interface structures to selected test equipment. The ETS can receive multiple programmable relay circuit cards which can be increased in number based on how many channels or bus connections are needed to interface with a system under test. Embodiments can scale to interface with a scalably high number of components or interface control channels while using a common or limited number of measuring instruments that are safe for use when such explosive or combustible system elements are installed. Such a desired system can include an ability to provide a low-resistance, controlled impedance path between any selected measuring instrument and the system or unit under test as well as an ability to have an installed explosive or combustible element safe interfacing system. A desired system can also have an automated reconfigurable or programmable interfacing system and be automated to run a variety of tests.
Because a unit under test may be faulty, a system is desired to analyze any combination of faults against incorrect voltages and shorts with a wide variety of connection variables, system types, connector types, etc. which reduce the need for different test sets and connectors or other elements of the test system. Detected faults can be presented to the user, and a pass/fail label given to the unit under test after the test completes.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a unique measuring system that can effectively analyze errors in a unit and its subsystems under test, using limited measuring instruments. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the present disclosure provides for an expandable ETS that can route a number of input and outputs to a set of common or limited measuring instrument(s) to any combination of test channels in an explosive safe manner. In accordance with some forms of the disclosure, such a monitoring system is capable of analyzing and storing errors alongside identifying information regarding the unit under test.
In particular, embodiments of the invention can have common ETS interface types for at least two configuration categories of exemplary common electronic test equipment interface structures (CETSIS) for each system under test. A first configuration category of CETSIS can be an installed explosive or combustible element safe (IECES) configuration and a second configuration category of CETSIS can be a non-installed explosive or combustive element safe (NIECES) configuration. The first configuration category can be an IECES CETSIS configuration that includes multiple safety structures such as a CETSIS formed without an electrical interface with a corresponding pin or electrical interface in a specific position of the CETSIS to prevent a voltage signal from passing between a system under test's cable or wire coupled to the ETS' IECES CETSIS. Alternatively, the cable or wire connecting to the system under test having the explosive or combustible element can be formed with the missing electrical connector associated with CETSIS structures with applied power or voltage signals where the cable is marked as a cable used when explosives or combustible elements are being tested (e.g., red danger tag or flag, markings, etc.). The cable used with systems having installed explosives or combustibles can also include a loop back with a resistor installed on wires or channels where power could be applied to an operational system which could trigger the explosive or combustible elements.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.